Fishing in Pompano Beach

You just have to look at the name to know that Pompano Beach is home to some truly awesome fishing. What may surprise you is that most Pompano Beach fishing charters don’t actually target inshore species at all. What makes the town’s fishing special is the fact that the water drops very quickly, allowing you to target species like Snapper and Grouper within a mile or two offshore. Head out a few miles more and you can be trolling for big game pelagic species before you know it.

The town’s fishing is no secret. Every year several tournaments and thousands of anglers descend on Pompano Beach and they are happily greeted awesome sportfishing boats, ready and waiting to head offshore. Add in the town’s warm weather and beautiful beaches and you have the dream vacation spot for the whole family.

Known For

The great thing about Pompano Beach is that there is no one spot which every boat clusters around. Pompano Beach fishing spots consist mainly of drop-offs, rocky piles, and endless artificial reefs. The surrounding waters are littered with everything from tire piles and concrete blocks to decommissioned passenger planes, tankers, and even a Rolls Royce. The fish aren’t fussy, though, and flock to them all in huge numbers.

Head out a little further (and we do mean a little, easily within state waters in fact) and you will find Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, big King Mackerel, and Wahoo. Again, there is no one spot you must visit for these and so no risk of being blocked out by other boats on a busy winter’s morning. More seasoned anglers will probably already know about Pompano Beach’s speciality deep-water species. Less than 20 miles from shore are waters deep enough to hold Swordfish, making both night and daytime Swordfish trips a local favorite.

What can I do on a half day trip?

As you may have gathered, you will be spoiled for choice on a half day trip out of Pompano Beach. If you are looking for some tasty food fish you can head out a couple of miles to fish for Grouper, Snapper, Triggerfish, and Hogfish. Dare to travel out of sight of land and you can deep drop for monster Snapper and huge, tasty Tilefish.

If you are fishing more for sport than for food, you can get in a productive morning of big game fishing and still be home by lunchtime. Catches of Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, and Sailfish are easily achievable with a fast boat, giving even the best sportfishing destinations a run for their money.

Why stay out longer?

There are three good reasons to stay out longer, each more compelling than the last. The first reason is very simple: more time equals more fish! With a full day on the water, you can hit the very best Pompano Beach fishing spots in search of huge Tilefish and Groupers, and even get a spot of trolling in on your way from spot to spot.

The second, main reason for staying out longer is to take full advantage of the awesome deep sea fishing on offer. Head up to Sailfish Alley, where one lucky boat once caught and released 83 Sailfish in a single day, or simply go 15 miles out to the Gulf Stream, where you can find Marlin, Sailfish, and so much more dwelling in the deep.

This brings us onto the third reason to stay out all day - Swordfish. Book in for an 8-hour night fishing trip and for the ultimate game of patience and skill, waiting for the slightest twitch or slack of the line, then reeling like crazy to set the hook before it’s too late. Daytime swordfishing trips fish deeper and as such take longer (even in these deep waters, 10 hours is the minimum) but you can always troll on your way to and from the fishing grounds, making the trip even more productive.

How much will it cost?

The standard rates for a center console are around 450 for a half day, and 650-750 for a full day. Sportfishing boats in the 30’ range don’t cost much more, at around $500 for a half day and $900 for a full day, making them well worth the money. Daytime Swordfishing trips will cost around $1000 as you will be covering more ground and will also be able to troll on the way out and in.

At the top of the scale, even the fanciest cruisers max out at around $800 for a half and $1200 for a full day, although their high fuel burn can make swordfishing trips run as much as $1700. These boats are the real deal, though, helmed by some of the best in the business and loaded with the latest tech and plenty of luxuries to give you that VIP feeling.

Rules & Regulations

There are several strict closed seasons in Florida, most notably for many species of Grouper, which can be caught only from May onwards. You will not need a fishing license when fishing aboard a registered Pompano Beach fishing charter as you are covered by the boat’s license.

Types of Fishing

The area’s deep waters and endless reefs have drawn many accomplished captains to the area. Unsurprisingly, they have put a lot of time into perfecting their technique, and have built up some go-to rigs and tactics to get their clients on the best fish.

Bottom Fishing

If you are planning on bottom fishing or drift fishing Pompano Beach then you are in for a treat. The fish are huge and plentiful, so you can’t really go wrong. The most common tactic is to drop a couple of frozen chum blocks upcurrent, then use live Pinfish or Speedos to tempt in the big, greedy fish drawn close by smell of food. Chicken rigs of cut squid or fish work just as well when fishing deeper waters, with a long weighted leader and circle hooks to make sure set your hook properly.

Deep Sea Fishing

Most of the deep sea fishing Pompano Beach offers is focused on trolling, using live or dead Ballyhoo with colorful chugger heads attached for extra color. Sailfish are the exception and are mostly caught with kites, drawing the bait along the surface to mimic a distressed fish attempting to escape.

How you target Swordfish depends on the time of day. At night, they can be as little as 75 feet down, but during the day you may need to drop your lines 20 times that far or more. Electric reels are essential for daytime Swordfishing, with a long leader and a hefty 15 pounds of lead. Add a couple of squid or Bonito on hefty circle hooks and a blinking light ten feet or so down the leader, and get ready for a tense waiting game.

Pompano Beach Fishing Seasons

January

What better way to kick off the year than by dropping some lines for tasty bottom fish like Snapper and Tilefish? Trolling for huge Sailfish more your style? Whatever you want, you've got it here.

March

As the weather warms up, so does the bite on the reefs, with Snappers, Groupers, Tilefish and Triggerfish making for great food fishing. Deep in the dark, the first Swordfish are beginning to show up, too.

April

The blue water action starts to heat up, with Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, and Marlin showing up offshore just as the Sailfish start packing for their summer vacation. This is a great chance to catch them all at once.

September

September is a good month for any style of fishing. the Swordfish are in their prime, the Marlin are still in town, and on the reefs the Grouper are getting huge, making for the perfect meal at the end of the day.

October

the Sailfish show up just as the other pelagic fish start to leave, because sometimes nature's nice like that. This is your last solid chance of big Swordfish, too, so grab it with both hands and hold on tight.